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German Cheese

Germany is one of the world's leading cheese producers. German cheese makers produce over 1.8 million tons of cheese annually, making Germany the largest cheese producing country in Europe (followed closely by France, Italy and the Netherlands).

75% of Germany's cheeses (more than 400 different varieties) are produced in Bavaria, with Allgäu (the Alpine region of Southern Germany) being the largest cheese producing region. Here, raw milk cheeses, such as Allgäuer mountain cheese or Emmentaler, are made from the milk of brown-and-white colored cows grazing in natural pastures. Other important cheese producing regions include Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Saxony-Anhalt (Saxon-Anhalt).

The variety of cheeses available in Germany is huge - over 600 different varieties. Germany's variety of cheese developed from recipes and regional products that had come across the borders - as people emigrated to Germany, they brought their favorite cheeses and recipes with them. Some examples of this international influence are Tilsiter (Dutch origins), Limburger (Belgian origins), and Emmentaler (Swiss origins) cheese.

The latest trend in German cheese production is the preference for cheese produced organically by small, local companies. The proof of their high quality and superior tasting cheese is that a generation ago, the cheese industry in Germany was dominated by French cheese, but today these locally grown cheeses are by far the favorites.